Sunday, September 14, 2008

Virtual Realities

Dutch architects NL have created an interesting, funny and somewhat disquieting collection of photoshopped images for the Italian Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale. NL's images make you think twice about the use, function and symbolism of everyday architecture and design. Critical, relevant and comic - an excellent combination.

"Flower Power - can we move from what the Dutch call "pollution of the horizon" to "heroic" configurations? Is it possible to create an Eiffel Tower, Atomium or St Louis Arch dedicated to the production of environmentally friendly energy?" Is an aesthetically pleasing wind turbine too much to ask for?

"Minimum Speed 200 hk/h - the products that surround us often have unused capacities, we only use a fraction of their potential." This statement would apply to about 70% of the gadgets and appliances I own. (The 5 year-old matchbox car racer in me misses the point entirely and wishes someone would make the loop-the-loop a reality.)

"Phantom Pain - in the capitals of Europe 18 square kms of office space is left unused. This equals more than half of Manhattan, or a ghost town of 50 twin towers." This is my favourite of the images.

About Me

I was born in 1979, the son of two medical professionals. I grew up in good health in Wellington, New Zealand, a city known for being a high earthquake risk area and the capital of a nation nobody can place on a map.
Due to a lack of imagination I completed bachelor degrees in law and economics from Victoria University of Wellington and a graduate diploma in finance from the Financial Services Institute of Australia. To pay off my then ridiculous student loan, I became a corporate whore and worked for four years in NZ at a major financial services firm, specialising in financial modeling, valuation advice and public finance consulting.
In 2008 I moved to Hong Kong and offered up my soul to the lords of merges and acquisitions. I worked non-stop for two years in corporate finance, specialising in deal structuring, lead transaction advisory and financial due diligence. Then in early 2010, I realised that a career in finance was not for me.
So instead I’ve set about rediscovering myself as a writer, designer and game developer ... keep an eye on this space as the story continues.